This invention relates to corrosion inhibitor compositions and a process of inhibiting corrosion in aerosol products.
Many products designed for household, personal, automotive and other types of use are available as aerosol products. Examples of such aerosol products include: personal products such as hair care products (sprays, coloring agents and styling/conditioning mousses), deodorants, antiperspirants, first aid sprays, and colognes; household products such as waxes, polishes, pan sprays, insecticides and room fresheners; automotive products such as cleaners and polishes; industrial products such as cleaners, lubricants and mold release agents; and animal care products such as tick and flea repellants.
Although some aerosol products are packaged in glass bottles or aluminum cans or lined steel cans, most formulations are packaged in unlined cans made of tin-plated steel which may corrode during storage or use. While the tin affords some protection against corrosion, the thinness of the coating, imperfections in the surface, wear and tear, and chemical action may ultimately expose the steel to the contents of the can, and allow corrosion to occur. This corrosion can lead to contamination of the aerosol product and ultimately to the rupture of the can, if the corrosion is severe enough.
Water based aerosol formulations are being used increasingly to lower the flammability of the aerosol propellant and reduce manufacturing costs. However, the presence of water in an aerosol formulation increases the possibility of corrosion of tin-plated steel cans.
Usually a packaged aerosol contains both liquid and vapor phases and corrosion can occur on the interior surface of the can which is in contact with either phase. In addition, corrosion is more likely to occur when more than 80 ppm (parts per million) water is present. For example, in a system that includes dimethyl ether, a propellant and water, corrosion of the can which is in contact with the vapor phase may be aggravated by the fact that relatively large amounts of water vapor are present with the propellant; for example, the vapor phase of a 95/5 wt. % dimethyl ether/water system contains 7,750 ppm water vapor at 70.degree. F. (21.1.degree. C.). Moreover, the addition of ethanol to a DME/water system will often increase the amount of water vapor in the vapor phase and exacerbate the problem of vapor phase corrosion; a 90/5/5 (wt. %) DME/ethanol/water system will contain 9,100 ppm water vapor at 70.degree. F.
Corrosion inhibitors are therefore useful when water-based aerosol formulations are packaged in tin-plated steel cans. However, many commercially available corrosion inhibitors are either ineffective for aerosol systems containing water or they fail to provide adequate protection against both liquid phase and vapor phase corrosion. It often happens that a corrosion inhibitor provides good liquid phase protection but fails to provide effective vapor phase protection. The reverse can also occur.